Sliding support mechanism



April 1, 1952 D. E. HARTMAN SLIDING SUPPORT MECHANISM Filed Dec. 16, 1950 INVENTOR DAVID E. HARTMAN ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING SUPPORT MECHANISM David E. Hartman: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application Decem er 16, 1950, Serial No. 201,097

This invention relates to a sliding support mechanism fora removable leaf type table top adapted to slidably mount two main table top halves and to retractably support a leaf board. "The sliding support mechanism of the invention is of that type which is' mounted in such manner that two of such mechanisms are disihgfthe dispo s ltionof' its components when the leaf board of thetable top is retracted and outof view;

Figure 2 is a further elevation of the device of Figure 1 but illustrating the positions of the -components thereof when the leaf board is raised thereby to efiec't an expanded length for the tabletop.

Figure 3 is an end view of one of the retractable leaf levers of the'mechanism of Figures 1 2 il1ustrating its general construction. Beferringto thedrawings, the sliding support mechanism herein comprises the "mounting plate I'll whichis adapted to'be fastenedto the frame "of a ta ble suchas a horizontal member extendingibetween the upperends of the legs on one side; The mounting plate maybe fastened to "such horizontal ime'm berin any suitable way. I provide two slidable members Hand 12 riding on vertically spaced apartslots such as the slots It in the mounting plate to and the slot 14 in the" member l'l. These slots are engaged by guide means such as the pin extending from mounting plate l0 a'nfdthepin 16 extending from the member" H'I'to' move in the slot l3 of the m nnagpme Ill. The length of the slots 13 and fl 4 determine the limits of slidable moveinent of slidable member H, which latter carries amain table top "half'l'l on its upper flange Hi, the, same being mounted in such manner that anothrfmfain tabletop half I9 is adapted to meet theformer at a medial line 20' when the slidable members II and I2 are disposed in their riids't'iinwaid position as determinedflby their in ltrating slots 13 and I4 a d pins sa this position of th f l orients, a retractable ie f'z'l supported by bracket member 22 is dis- 'po se'd below the plane of the main tabletop ,6 Cats. (01. 311-46) halves I1 and ill in the manner indicated in Figure 1. The bracket22 has upwardly inclined and converging slots 23 and 24 which, in their lower outer terminus, define enlarged openings 25 and 26 constituting supporting seats or shoulders designed to be engaged by the sliding pins 21 and 28 extending from retractable levers 29 and 30. i

The' retractable levers 29 and 30 are pivotally mounted on suitable screws or rivets 3|" and .32 extending from the mounting plate l0. Inthe position of the components illustrated inj'igure lit will be observed that the sliding members] I and I2 are operatively related in their sliding movement. Thus, a flexible metal strap}; exftends from rigid connection as at 34 to the sliding member ll about the pulley wheel 35rota' t ably mounted on a shaft 36 extending from the mounting plate I0 and passes to an endfastening member 37 having an eyelet 38 therein adapted to fasten about a projection 39 from a flange 4B of the slidable member I2. Similarly, a flexible metal strap member 41 extends from fixed connection as at 42 to the member '12 about the pulley 43 rotatably mounted on shaft 44 fixed to the mounting plate lll to a similar end fastening member 45 having an eyelet 46 through which a projection 41 extends from a lower flange 48 of the slidable member I. In this way, movement of either of theslidable members II or 12 relative to the mounting "plate in the direction of the slots [3 and 14 will cause corresponding but opposite movement of the other slidable member.

I' provide enlargements in the form oflugsjg and 50 on each of the straps 33 and 4! and whilc h are adapted to engageactuating flangesjl and 52 of the retractable levers 29 and 30 when the sliding members I l and I2 are moved toward their outermost position as illustrated in Figure2; To facilitate this function, I slot each of the actuat mg flanges to accommodate their respective straps and thus, as illustrated in Figure 3, the leverfZS carrying its actuating flange 5| has a suitable slot 53 in the latter adapted for free passage of the strap ,14l.

As the retractable levers 29 and 30 are swung outwardly by the enlargementsor lugs 491 and-50, the sliding pins 21 and 28 move to a position to engagethe seats 25 and 26 of the retractable bracket 22 and at the same timecause said braclget to rise to a position whereat the retractable leaf 2| thereof arrives at common planar relationship with the main table top halves l1 and As will be observed in Figure 2, the retractable leaf member 2| is shown in slightly spaced relationship to the main table top halves corresponding to the outward limit of slidable travel of the slidable members II and I2. Accordingly, as these latter members are moved into mating rela-' tionship with the retractable leaf, the lugs 49 and 50 will be moved toward one another away from engagement with the flanges of the retractable levers. Nevertheless the enlargements 25 and 26 sufficiently support the retractable leaf so that no difficulty has been found in practice with this simple arrangement.

When moving the slidable members II and l2 again to cause the retractable leaf to retract, they 7 are merely moved to the position illustrated in Figure 2 and then with a very slight pressure exerted by the operator and a slight movement of the retracted leaf, the bracket 22 is quickly unseated from the pins 21 and 28 and falls under its own weight substantially to the position illustrated in Figure l whereat the slidable members [I and [2 may be moved inwardly to join at the medial line 20 of the main table top halves l1 and [9.

The slidable members H and i2 may be locked at positions illustrated in Figure l and in position of closure of their main table top halves I1 and I9 with the retractable leaf 2!. This may be accomplished by providing a locking member 54 mounted by means of a rivet 55 to the mounting plate [0 and in such manner that the looking member is joined stifily thereto and must be positively moved by an operator engaging the actuating flange 56 thereof to cause its locking finger 51 to engage within the locking hole 58 of flange 48. In operation, when it is desired to separate the sliding members H and I2 as illustrated in Figure l, the locking member is rotated clockwise to disengage its finger 51 from the'locking hole 58 after which the sliding members may be-outwardly moved as previously discussed to cause the retractable leaf to rise to the position illustrated in Figure 2. When the sliding members are moved inwardly for closure with the exposed retractable leaf 2| the secondary locking opening 59 will come into registry with the finger 51 of the locking member 54 at which point of operation the operator may press the actuating flange-56 to cause the member to rotate counterclockwise and affect engagement of its finger 51 withthe locking openin 59. It will be apparent that for a pair of sliding support mechanisms as disclosed herein only one locking member 54 need be provided. Moreover, the operator may stand at one end of the table and lock and unlock the Q 7 and movable in a direction toward and away from a common theoretical medial line therebetween, means on each of said slidable support members adapted to mount a main table top half whereby two table top halves are disposed in coplanar relationship, a retractable bracket member and means thereon for supporting a retract- 7 able leaf between said slidable support members, retractable levers pivotally mounted on said mounting plate between said slidable members and deflectable from a substantially vertical parallel spaced apart position toward the medial line,-means near the free ends of said levers for supporting said bracket and for moving it from a retracted position wherein the leaf member thereon is disposed below the plane of said main table top halves to an outward position coinciding with the plane of said table top halves when said levers are disposed in substantially parallel spaced apart manner, and means operatively relating sliding motion of each sliding member with the other and including means for engaging said retractable levers to cause swinging movement of the latter to their substantially vertical positions when said slidable members are moved outwardly with respect to one another.

2. A sliding support mechanism as claimed in claim 1 in which the means operatively relating each sliding member to the other, comprises: a flexible strap member having one end fastened to one slidable member and the other end fastened to the other slidable member, a pulley wheel on said mounting plate about which said strap member passes, said pulley wheel being located at all times at a position outside positions in between the terminal ends of said straps whereby the movement of one slidable member toward the medial line causes corresponding movement of the other slidable member.

3. A slidable support mechanism for a removable leaf table top as claimed in claim 1 in which the means operatively relating each sliding member to the other, comprises: a pair of flexible but substantially non-yieldable strap means each of which has one end fastened to one slidable member and the other end fastened to the other slidable member, a pulley wheel mounted on the mounting plate for each of said strap means and located outside points between the limits of movement of the ends of the strap means.

4. A slidable support mechanism for a removable leaf type table top as claimed in claim 1 in which the means operatively relating each sliding member to the other, comprises: a pair of flexible but substantially non-yieldable strap means each of which has one end fastened to one slidable member and the other end fastened to the other slidable member, a pulley wheel mounted on the mounting plate for each of said strap means and located outside points between the limits of movement of the ends of the strap means, and an enlargement on each of said strap means designed to engage one of said retractable levers to cause the latter to swing to a position to move said leaf supporting bracket to an outward position co-planar with the main table top halves and when said slidable members are moved in a direction away from the medial line.

5. A slidable support mechanism for a removable leaf type table top as claimed in claim 1 in which the means operatively relating each sliding member to the other, comprises: a pair of flexible but substantially non-yieldable strap means each of which has one end fastened to one slidable member and the other end fastened to the other slidable member, a pulley wheel mounted on the mounting plate for each of said strap means and located outside points between the limits of movement of the ends of the strap means, an enlargement on each of said strap means designed to engage one of said retractable levers to cause the latter to swing to a position to move said leaf supporting bracket to an outward position coplanar with the main table top halves and when said slidable members are moved in a direction away from the medial line, and means on each lever for accommodating one of said strap means designed to be engaged by the enlargement thereon.

6. A slidable support mechanism for a removable leaf type table top as claimed in claim 1, and

a locking member having a locking finger movably mounted on said mounting plate and adjacent a slidable support member thereof, and means on said adjacent slidable support member designed to be engaged by the finger of said looking member when said slidable support member is in positions wherein the main table top half thereon substantially meets the medial line and 0 Number is substantially in abutment with said retractable leaf.

DAVID E. HAR'IMAN.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Name Date 624,716 Westerfield May 9, 1899 835,609 Guller Nov. 13, 1906 1,435,074 Hess et al Oct. 31, 1922 1,479,805 Gutridge Jan. 8, 1924 15 1,778,666 Fox Oct. 14, 1930 1,935,531 Walter Nov. 14, 1933 2,050,561 Grosno Aug. 11, 1936 

